Pros on the best caulk for the job

PRO PICKS

5 pros weigh in on the best caulk for the job

It’s a part of the job some relegate to afterthought status, but if you’ve ever had a caulk perform poorly, or taken the cheap road and regretted it, you know that a caulking formula can make or break some jobs. Here, five pros weigh in on which caulks they use for a variety of applications, and why.

OUR PROS

1

MIKE CLOTHIER

2

BRIAN BEALL

3

TIM BODINE

4

PETER WOODS

5 CHS Painting Pro Edge Painting Professional Wallpaper & Paint Co. Catchlight PaintingCustomHomeServices.co

(262) 581-3444ProWallpaper.com

1

MIKE CLOTHIER

The owner of CHS Painting, based outside of Portland, OR, Clothier says OSI QUAD MAX is his go-to for exteriors. Proven to work well even on wet surfaces, this product also comes in 4,600-plus color matches.

“Working in the Pacific Northwest has its own type of challenges on caulking with four full seasons, temperature changes, and lots of movement in siding and trim joints, which can cause water-intrusion problems,” he said.

QUAD MAX has proven to be the most consistent performer for the pro, with its superior adhesion and flexibility. “It flows and levels nice in all temperatures with little to no shrinkage,” he added. “It is a little more expensive, but we think it is one of the best caulks out there.”

For interiors, he uses Sherwin-Williams 950A Siliconized Acrylic Latex Caulk. He says that it’s ideal for trim work with great leveling and flexibility, can stand up to moderate weather, and dries quickly.

CatchlightPainting.com

NICHOLAS PAINTER Brush & Color Eco Painting BrushAndColor.com

24 inPAINT | May/Jun 2019

BRIAN BEALL

2 For McHenry, IL-based Pro Edge Painting owner Brian Beall, rough weather dictates his go-to caulk for exteriors. He relies on Titebond WeatherMaster Sealant because it’s ‘heavy-bodied’ while offering plenty of ‘control and less tooling’ than water-based caulk. “It tacks up and can be painted with water-based paint within an hour; sooner in hotter conditions,” he explained

It offers considerable flexibility, even after curing, which he likes for substrates that expand and contract a lot with changing weather conditions. It can also be applied in a wide range of weather conditions, from 0˚ F on up.

“This is the best caulk, retailing around $7 a tube. I have my local Sherwin-Williams store carry it so that it’s readily available,” he noted.

For interiors, Beall prefers Sherwin-Williams PowerHouse Siliconized Acrylic Latex Sealant. He likes the moderate price range, between $3 and $4, and how the product resists yellowing as it cures.

OSI QUAD MAX caulks areavailable in 4,600+ color matches.

PETER WOODS

4 The foreman for Catchlight Painting in West Newton, MA has been in the painting business for 13 years and, for 10 of them, he has stuck with DAP ALEX PLUS All-Purpose Acrylic Latex Caulk Plus Silicone for exterior applications such as window corners and clapboard, among others.

“It’s just really easy to work with right out of the gun; easy to shape in any way. It’s a smooth and consistent product,” he said.

For interiors, he likes the DAP ALEX FAST DRY Acrylic Latex Caulk Plus Silicone, which the manufacturer claims is ready to paint within 20 minutes. “It’s great for when you’re trying to be productive. You can set it in and, within an hour … even less, it’s good for painting,” he added.

Sashco Big Stretch’s powerful adhesion and extremeelasticity will stick, twist, bend, compress and stretch morethan 500% of original size without cracking.

TIM BODINE

3 Bodine’s company, Professional Wallpaper & Paint Co., serves the entire St. Louis metro area. For paint work, his company strictly does interiors.

“My most-used, or go-to, caulk would be PPG TOP GUN 200,” he said. “It’s just the right amount of thickness and it grips well, but is easy to tool. It’s always consistent coming out of the tube, and it’s about $1.25 a tube in a case price; that can’t be beat.”

Sometimes, when he deals with larger gaps or ones that appear to have shifted over time, he uses Sashco Big Stretch High Performance Elastic Sealant. “It takes a bit longer to dry than normal caulk, but the flexibility is incredible, and I haven’t yet seen a joint crack that I’ve applied it to.”

And if he is in a hurry and needs a fast-drying product, he turns to ALLPRO Quick2Coat Sealant. “It’s a bit thicker than your average caulk, but it dries super fast,” he said.

NICHOLAS PAINTER

5 Painter’s Austin-based Brush & Color Eco Painting’s company philosophy centers around finding the best nontoxic products on the market.

“It’s easy to overlook a little tube of caulk as being a hazard. Most caulks out there have low VOC content, and can be used safely with proper ventilation and safety gear, but that does not mean they are nontoxic. It’s always a good idea to read the safety data sheet before committing to a product,” he cautioned.

He uses AFM Safecoat Caulking Compound for interiors. It’s a nontoxic formula that bonds well in areas like interior window seams and baseboard trim. It’s also water resistant, flexible and easy to work with.

Painter also looks to Chem Link elastomeric sealants for damp, dry or cold climates. They are solvent-free and contain no isocyanates, will not shrink when cured, and are used in a wide range of environments, even clean rooms. There are formulas for tile, brick, asphalt, concrete, wood, metal and other surfaces. -

LEFT: DAP ALEX FAST DRY isready to paint in 20 minutes.ABOVE: DAP ALEX PLUS All-Purpose is easy to apply and tool.

May/Jun 2019 | inPAINT25